Oviposition behavior in Aedes aegypti. The project will study the mode of inheritance of early and delayed oviposition behavior (i.e. oviposition which may occur before mating ant that which requires mating). Test matings will be made with diverse genetic strains (natural and laboratory colonies, including marker strains) which will give information on linkage relationships. Effect of mating on oogenesis an oviposition in the soft ticks Argas persicus and Ornithodorus moubata. The influence of mating on oogenesis will be analyzed with respect to: 1) mechnical factors; 2) accessory gland secretion; 3) sperm. Aggregation in Argas persicus. Introductory studies demonstrate that assembly pheromones are produced by both sexes. The proposed studies include: 1) quantitative assay of the pheromones at different ages and conditions of feeding and mating; 2) investigation of the source of the pheromone; 3) investigation of the receptors used for detection of the pheromones. The assembling phenomenon will be looked for in other species.